There’s been a lot of criticism in the trade press about the new theme line introduced this past week for Chevrolet. “Chevy Runs Deep” is the signature that the car company has put on a series of nostalgic spots which stress that Chevy is a brand that we grew up with and that has been part of the American scene for as long as most can remember. The spots are well produced and, for us baby boomers, the memories are as vivid as Don McLean’s “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” verses.
Once again, the marketing experts have forgotten what the brand is all about and are focusing their attention on the theme line, tagline, or slogan for the product and not the essence of why people buy it in the first place.
According to Jeff Goodby from the company’s ad agency (in Advertising Age), “It’s not fair to judge a tagline out of context.” I would go further and say that it’s not fair to judge a brand by its tagline—in or out—of context. I believe the Chevrolet branding has been one of the best in the auto industry for the past few years with or without great taglines we’re used to, such as “An American Revolution” or “Like a Rock”. The car/brand is part of the American scene and they have appealed to basic American values ever since it was part of “Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” decades ago.
The fact is, the brand has several really good, quality models now that continue to sell quite well (not like they used to when Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda weren’t as strong). Despite the economy, it has many loyal customers (and non-owers as well!) who have a clear understanding of the Chevy brand and its history. The concept of building a brand based on its American roots is not new and, quite frankly, today has a lot more resonance than others (“Droid Does” comes to mind).
The campaign is more that just a look back. I believe it stresses loyalty, quality, and uniqueness in a very engaging manner. However, I also believe the key to Chevy’s future success is that its brand strategy “runs deep” as it continually improves its models, quality and can maintain a positive positioning in the face of overwhelming competition from abroad (even if they are made in Tennessee or Ohio). Chevy has staked its claim on the values that many of its target customers (middle of the road Americans) feel are important when making a significant purchase.
I think if they stick with this understanding of their brand and let the critics keep on writing without a knee-jerk change in strategy, the brand will truly run deep in hearts of the market. Now, if they can only get their dealers to understand and live up to it as well!
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